U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized “the deep U.S. commitment to its historic relationship with Israel and the ironclad U.S. support for Israeli security” in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, according to Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokeswoman
Netanyahu and Rubio also spoke about Syria after U.S. President Donald Trump’s “historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia,” and the two “shared their mutual commitment to make sure Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon,” according to Bruce.
In a press conference at the Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort and Spa in Antalya, Turkey, on Thursday, Rubio was asked about Gaza, particularly the deaths of Gazans.
Rubio told a reporter that, as Trump has said, “the people of Gaza deserve a better future than what they’ve had under Hamas.”
“We think that the elimination of Hamas is what achieves peace. We’re troubled by the humanitarian situation there,” Rubio said. He noted that “the Israelis with American backing and support have offered a plan to deliver aid that doesn’t get diverted or stolen by Hamas.”
“I’ve heard criticisms of that plan. We’re open to an alternative if someone has a better one, but it—we are for all the aid we can get without the people, without Hamas being able to steal it from people,” Rubio said.
The secretary said that everyone wants to see an end to the war, which would happen right away if Hamas surrendered.
“They’re a terrorist group. They’re a group that kidnapped, raped, murdered innocent people that had nothing to do with the war, and as long as they exist and they’re around, you’re not going to have peace,” Rubio told reporters. “This is not a peaceful group. This is a group that deliberately, on Oct. 7, committed horrifying crimes, which have triggered this conflict.”
“If there’s a role we can play in bringing about the release of these hostages and the return of these remains to their families, and we have an opportunity to play a role, we will,” he added. “I don’t want to endanger them, but suffice it to say that we know there are others involved. The Qataris have been involved. The Egyptians have been involved. The Turks have been involved. Numerous countries have been involved in passing messages and in getting results.”
Seeing the U.S.-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander freed was “very uplifting,” Rubio said. “But we recognize that there are still many others left behind, and we want to see them all released.”
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